Alarm mechanism.



No. 760,526. PATENTED MAY 24, 1904; A. T. CUNNINGHAM. ALARM MEGHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 13. 1902.

N0 MODEL.

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UNITED STATES Patented May 24, 1904.

ALEXANDER T. CUNNINGHAM, OF MILWVAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

ALARM MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 760,526, dated May 24, 1904.

Application filed August 13, 1902. Serial No. 119,498. (No model.)

To a whom, it may concern.-

Be itknown thatLALExANDEnT. CUNNING- HAM, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Alarm Mechanism, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

My invention has relation to improvements in alarm mechanism.

It has particular reference to that class of alarm mechanism wherein a friction-roller is provided adapted to be brought into and out of contact with a movable part, the alarm being sounded when the roller is brought into contact with said movable part.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an improved construction and arrangement of mechanism of such character that a distinct and loud sound is produced capable of being heard at a considerable distance.

A further object resides in providing an improved and simple means for fitting the several parts of the mechanism together.

With the above and other incidental objects in view the invention consists of the devices and parts or their equivalents, as hereinafter set forth.

Inthc accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved whistle, parts being broken away and in section. Fig. 2 is an end view of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the device. Fig. 4 is a detail View of the piston and valve and the connecting pitman and crank, the latter being in section; and Fig. 5 is a detail view of the piston.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 6 indicates a casing in which is adapted to re ciprocate a piston 7. (Shown in detail in Figs. 4 and This piston comprises a tubular portion and an inner head or end portion, the opposite outer end of the tubular portion being open. form, the piston of course is of the corresponding shape in order to it accurately within the casing. If a casing of any other form is employed, the piston will of course conform thereto in shape. The end piece of the piston is provided with a series of openings 8,

Where the casing is of cylindrical,

and the metal at the inner ends of two of these openings 1s bent at right angles to form proectmg ears or lugs 9 9. Each of these cars is provided with an opening 10, the two open- Ience than the piston and being of such dim1n1shed thlckness as to be afforded play on the pin between the head of said pin and the inner face of the piston. A pin 13 passes through the alined openings of the ears 9 and has its ends fitted in diametrically opposite I openings in the tubular portion of the piston.

Pivoted on the pin 13 between the ears 9 is the inner end of a pitman 14. The cars 9 prevent movement of the pitman on the pin 13.

The outer end of the pitman is connected to a crank 15, formed on a transverse shaft 16. A box 17 is fitted to and extended from one end of the casing in order to form an inclosing hood and bearing for the crank-shaft. The ends of said crank-shaft lit in opposite sides of the box, the said opposite sides being preferably provided with outwardly extending tubular bearings 18 18 for the crank-shaft, one end of the shaft being extended. outwardly beyond the end of its bearing 18 and having mounted. thereon a friction-whcel 19, said frie tion-wheel preferably provided with adouble tread, as shown. In order to providefor fitting the crank-shaft in its inclosing box or hood, said box is advisably formed of two similar half-sections, as clearly shown in the drawings, atubular bearing 18 being formed on each section of the box. The pitman 14, which is advisably of stamped sheet metal, is first fitted between the ears 9, and the pin 13 isthen passed through the opening in one side of the tubular portion of the piston, then through the alined openings of the ears 9, and finally passed into the opening in the diametrically opposite side of the tubular portion of the piston. The opposite end of the pitman is next secured to the crank, and this is preferably accomplished by first forming the outer end of the pitman with a U-shaped recess,

which recess forms two projections 20 20. The 1 crank is seated in the U-shaped recess, and the projections are bent around the crank, as clearly shown in Fig. 4E. The pitman being now connected to the pin 13 and to the crank, the piston, with the valve 12 properly adjusted on the pin 11, is passed up into the casing. One of the sections of the box 17 is next adjusted to the end of the casing so that an end of the shaft 16 fits in its tubular bearing 18, and then the other section of the box is properly adjusted. The two sections of the box are secured together and to the end of the casing by means of rivets 21 passed through openings in lugs 22, extending from the sections of the box, said lugs being preferably disposed so that two pairs thereof will be at the upper end of the sections, and thereby firmly clamp the sections around the casing, and one pair at the outer end of the sections, so as to secure said sections together at that point The sections of the box, or the opposite sides thereof where the box is not made of sections, are provided with air-inlet openings 23, which permit air to enter said box and pass to the interior of the casing.

At the end of the casing opposite to the end from which the box 17 projects is a whistlechamber 2 1. WVithin this chamber is a post 25, the outer end of said post being secured to the top ofthe chamber and the inner end of said post being connected to or projecting from a plate 26 at the end of the casing. This plate preferably does not fill up the space at the end of the casing, but is of suflicient less diameter than the opening in the end of the easing to leave an annular air-escape passage 27 at said end of the casing. The plate is held in position by means of screws or rivets 28 passing through the casing and entering the edge of the plate. If desired, of course, instead of providing a plate or end piece 26 of less diameter than the end of the casing, so as to leave an annular air-escape passage 27, the said plate may closely fit-the open end of the casing and be provided with a series of openings therethrough. The inner end of the whistle-chamber of course terminates at a point removed from the plate 26, so that a space is left between the two.

Any desired means for securing the whistle to the device in connection with which said whistle is to be employed may be used, so long as such means provides for the turning of the casing so as to throw the friction-wheel 19 into contact with a revolving or moving part. In the drawings I have shown for this purpose an arm 29, which may be secured to a'fixed part. The inner end of this arm is bifurcated, and each furcate part is formed with half-circular members 30 30, which surround the casing and form bearings in which said casing may turn. One pair of the halfcircular'bearing members abut against the portion of the box 17 which surrounds the casing, and the other pair of circular bearing members abut against a collar 31 at the opposite end of the casing, and hence said-casing is thereby prevented from slipping through the bearings.

For the purpose of conveniently turning the casing in its bearings I provide an arm 32, which has a threaded connection at its inner end with the outer end of one of the tubular bearings 18, and its outer end is provided with an eye to which a cord, chain, or the like (not shown) may be connected and extended to any convenient point for operation. When an upward pull is exerted on the cord or chain referred to, the casing is necessarily turned in a direction to throw the friction-wheel 19 into contact with the revolving part. A coiled spring 33 is connected at one end to the casing and at its opposite end to the arm 29. When the casing is turned in the manner just described, it is rotated against the resistance afforded by said spring, so that on the subsequent relaxation of the pulling force on the cord or chain the contraction of the spring will necessarily return the casing to normal position, in which the wheel 19 is out of contact with the revolving part. When the easing is thus returned, means should be provided for preventing its being rotated back too far. I therefore employ a projecting stop 34, which after the casing has been rotated back a v slight distance will contact with the arm 29,

and hence prevent further movement of said casing.

In the operation of my invention whenever it is desired to sound an alarm the operatingcord is pulled upwardly, and, as heretofore stated, this has the effect of turning the easing in a direction to throw the friction-wheel 19 into contact with the periphery of the revolving part or into contact with any other movable part, it being understood, of course, that the arm 29 is so connected as to make this possible. The wheel 19 being thus thrown into engagement with a movable part, said wheel is caused to rapidly revolve, and of course this revolution is transferred to the crank-shaft 16. The rotation of the crank necessarily causes a rapid reciprocation of the piston 7. On the inward movement of the piston the air in advance of said piston forces the valve 12 against the end of the piston, and consequently closes the openings 8, and hence said air is ejected with considerable force through the opening 27 and against the edge of and into the whistle-chamber 24, whereby a loud whistling sound isproduced. 'At the same time the air is thus ejected through the opening 27 air is drawn through the openings IIO 23 into the casing in the portion thereof back openings 18 and between the end or head of the piston and the edge of the valve and into the space in advance of the piston, whereby a partial vacuum in the space of the casing in advance of the piston is prevented. With the continued operation of the device a whistling sound is of course produced on each inward movement of the piston.

My invention may be used to advantage as an alarm in connection with steam-launehes or in. connection with automobiles or as a bicycle alarm. In fact, it may be advantageously employed as an alarm in connection with any description of device employing a revolving or movable part with which the friction-wheel 19 can be thrown into contact and revolved thereby.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In an alarm mechanism, the combination of a casing provided at one point with an inlet opening or openings, and at another point with an outlet-opening, whistle mechanism connected to the casing and operated by the air ejected through the outlet-opening, a piston within the casing, said piston having a pair of cars or lugs struck up therefrom leaving openings in the piston, a headed pin projecting from the end of the piston, a valve loosely mounted on said headed pin capable of covering the openings of the piston, a pin passingthrough the piston and the lugs or ears thereof, a pitman mounted on the said pin between the lugs or cars, a crank-shaft having its crank connected with the pitman, and means for driving the crank-shaft,

2. In an alarm mechanism, the combination of a casing provided with an inlet opening or openings, and at another point with an outlet opening, whistle mechanism connected to the casing and operated by the air ejected through the outlet-opening, a piston within the casing, said piston provided with an opening or openings, and also provided with a pin projecting from its end or head, a valve loosely mounted on said pin and movable toward and from the piston to thereby cover or uncover the opening or openings of the piston, an extension projecting from one end of the casing and separate from but connected. to said casing, and consisting of two similar half-sections, each half-section provided with a bearing-box,

means for securing the sections of the exten-- slon together, a crank-shaft ournaled in the bearing-boxes of the extension, and having one end extended outwardly and carrying a friction-wheel, and a pitman connected at one end to the crank-shaft and at its opposite end to the piston.

3. In an alarm mechanism, the combination of a casing provided with sound-producing mechanism, a rotatable shaft mounted in the casing, said shaft adapted for actuating the sound-producing mechanism, a friction-wheel mounted on the exterior end of the shaft, an arm adapted to be secured to a fixed part,

said arm provided at its inner end with a yoke,

A LEXANIIER 'l. CUNNINGHAM.

Witnesses:

ANNA V. FAUsT, A. L. MoRsELL. 

